Thanks to you: 38,572 helmet upgrades sent - Helping Prevent Traumatic Brain Injuries
...and the requests keep coming in! Let's keep the goods flowing!


Backlog 103±

(Soon as we answer one, others hear about the help and ask also, SO THE NUMBER KEEPS CHANGING!

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For the unvarnished info, see Doc Bob's BLOG

Couple of good songs thanking our vets;

Before You Go

Before You Go:VietNam

 

 Online Donations  | US Mail  |  Stock Donations  |  Vendor Donations In Kind

When the military agreed to take over our job of putting shock-absorbing pads in their troops' helmets, they decided to buy the cheapest they could find. That leaves some critical jobs being filled with troops whose helmets don't fit just right, and give them a pounding headache.
 
So, in addition to the usual men and women who 'fall through the cracks' and don't have any type of upgrade, we respond when we're able to those whose combat duties would be helped by using the top-of-the-line pads we buy with your help.

 

We will cease operations when we are no longer needed, transferring any residual funds to charities helping our wounded troops and their families.

PLEASE NOTICE: If you are replacing the Marine-issue pads already installed in a helmet, you need to let us know, because the replacement pads we send will need to be thicker than 'standard' so the helmet will still fit.

For on-line credit card or PayPal donations, fill out the next two fields and click on the donate button below.   You will have the opportunity to add comments in the third step.  Also, if you do not have a PayPal account, there is a button to press for credit card donations in the next step.

Please use this donation for the following individual, unit, base, or service.  Leave blank for any service member.
Ship to Address of the military member (if applicable)
Now, our cost is $56 per upgrade for all Service branches except those who still use the older PASGT helmet. That upgrade kit costs us $87. This price change represents a 40% savings over retail price. Thanks, Oregon Aero. Now, let's hope other manufacturers follow the recommendations of the Army testing lab and adjust their pad sets for comfort as well as protection.

Just ignore the 'quantity' and donate what you care to...trying to fix that fool button.

Checks are preferred, as PayPal takes a bite of about 3% for service fees.


If you are sending a kit to a deployed service member, here is what the address should look like:

Sgt William V EXXXX                       
2/2 E Co (1st Platoon)
Unit 73070
FPO, AE 09509-3070
United States

or Sgt William V EXXXX, 2/2 E Co (1st Platoon), Unit 73070, FPO, AE 09509-3070 United States

Donate through the US Mail  

Click here for a form that you fill out and mail in with your check or money order. Or, just send a note with the check. We have changed our policy on thank-you letters due to the large amount of mail we're getting and the cost in stamps as well as time to answer...enough for a helmet upgrade every 2 weeks! The IRS only requires a confirmation of donation letter if the amount is $250 or greater, so other donations will be acknowledged by email if it's on the form, otherwise in our prayers. Your cancelled check is proof of donation. PS: Sometimes I can't read the return address or mis-type it and the letter comes back. I'm sorry, and if you need another, please email or write me and I'll resend. If you include an email address even with mailed checks, we can send a thank-you regardless of the amount...doesn't cost anything!

Operation Helmet, Inc. is a 501-c-3 public charity, EIN 20-1756585. Make out your check and send to: 

Operation Helmet
c/o Dr Bob Meaders
74 Greenview Street
Montgomery, TX 77356

Note 1: We do NOT sell or exchange our private donor's list.

Note 2:  What is the price per upgrade?

Note 3: Donation to a single individual may not be tax deductible.  Please check with your tax advisor or the IRS publication for more information.

For online credit card or PayPal donations, fill out the following fields then click on the donate button below.   $56 per upgrade for Marines.  $87 for Navy and USAF [more].

Note that the Army has taken over our job and provides shock-absorbing pads for (almost) all troops by the time they put boots on the ground in Iraq.



Click here to see a sample list of previous Donors who have agreed to be represented.


If you are vendor who would like to donate T-shirts, button, pins, bumper stickers, commemorative coins, or other items, please give a call to Mark Meaders, 703-350-4912.


Our distribution is through troops in the field who are knowledgeable about the needs of various units deployed or to individual warriors or units for whom specific donations are received. All donations so specified are sent to the individual troop, unit, or service branch. Donations intended for a specific unit MUST have a name attached, as units will not accept 'to anybody' packages.

Any amount is appreciated. As the old saying goes, it's better to light one candle than to curse the dark. And a bunch of small candles equal a whole lotta light!  Together, we can save lives. Families or friends of troopers are encouraged to make a partial donation so we can rush the kits to your specific warrior, unit or Service.  If you can afford to pitch in few bucks when donating for a family member's helmet upgrade, there's a number of troops with NO family support who also need help.

Price per upgrade:

The manufacturers have given us a special 'charitable organization' price of $56.00 for the pad suspension kit that fits the Marine Light Weight Helmet (LWH).  The PASGT helmet used by Navy and Air Force troops,  requires the more expensive BLSS kit.  This kit costs $87.00, and contains the pads plus a new four-point chinstrap.


Before you donate, please read this note

 

If you would like a helmet demonstration, drop us a line.  We can easily do this in Houston, San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.

We send these kits to YOUR trooper's unit as funds are available if you provide us their address: Stateside or APO/FPO with the priority on those deployed in danger zones and those that need the financial help.  Please feel free to approach friends, neighbors, business, churches, schools, service clubs, etc. to help us with funding. We've been besieged with requests due to recent deployments and have a large backlog of need. 100% of donated funds go to purchase and ship the upgrades. There are NO employee/admin costs deducted.

The life you save may save another!

Operation Helmet is a 501-c-3 organization (EIN 20-1756585) that a generous donor lawyer set up to handle purchasing of blast- protective upgrade kits.

You can verify our status as a 501-c-3 organization at the IRS verification website, http://apps.irs.gov/app/pub78.  Just enter Operation Helmet in the name section and Montgomery and Texas and USA in the location section and it pops up with verified until Dec 2008. 

For tax implications, please see www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

 

Send mail to ophelm@operation-helmet.org with questions or comments about Operation Helmet.
Copyright © 2007 Operation Helmet
Last modified: 05/08/08